'Impressive' Perseid meteor shower seen over UK

13 August 2017
From the section UKImage copyright Reuters Image caption Meteors captured above the Jill Windmill in West Sussex early on Sunday

The Perseid meteor shower has been seen over parts of the UK, giving stargazers the opportunity to spot scores of shooting stars in the sky.

The shower was due to peak in the UK on Saturday night, in a display also visible in other parts of the world.

Stargazers took to social media to say they had seen the display, in which 100 meteors had been expected an hour.

The Perseid meteor shower occurs every July and August as the Earth passes debris from the Swift-Tuttle comet.

Image copyright @KeithTrueman Image caption BBC News website reader Keith Trueman captured the meteor shower against the background of the Milky Way on Exmoor Image copyright Bob Girling Image caption Bob Girling witnessed this impressive sight above Chilton, Oxfordshire, at around 23:20 BST Image copyright Michiko Smith Image caption Michiko Smith took a series of photos, including this one, from his back garden in Normanton, West Yorkshire Image copyright Alan Saunders Image caption Relatively clear skies above Ide, near Exeter, gave Alan Saunders a chance to photograph the meteor shower from his house Image copyright Darren Felgate Image caption Reader Darren Felgate said this was taken from his back garden near the cricket ground in Scarborough Image copyright Brian Gibson Image caption Brian Gibson captured a Perseid meteor passing through the constellation of Ursa Major from his back garden in Milngavie, Glasgow at 23:03 BST

Former England cricketer Paul Collingwood was among those who attempted to spot the meteors.

Experts had warned that the Perseids may be harder to see this year as the Moon was three-quarters full.

Image copyright Barry Bird Image caption Reader Barry Bird captured this view of a Perseid meteor, the Pleiades and Venus rising over Winchcombe, Gloucestershire Image copyright John-Paul Brophy Image caption A Perseid meteor appears over Beachy Head in Eastbourne in this shot by reader John-Paul Brophy Image copyright Mike Driscoll Image caption Reader Mike Driscoll photographed this view of a meteor passing through The Plough over his house in Ashurst, Hampshire Image copyright John Cooper Image caption Reader John Cooper witnessed this Perseid meteor from his back garden in Leicestershire at about 02:00 BST on Sunday.

Did you watch the Perseid meteor shower on Saturday night? E-mail pictures of your sightings to [email protected].

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